helping hand, when they call upon him, poor fouls, with their chins just above water, and affure him that they can fwim no more than fo many pigs of lead? But they cry, alas, in vain! the love of his country prevails in his breast far beyond the feelings of pity, or any other confideration: He knows the kingdom is undone under fuch managementhe abandons them to their fate, and turns away his face from the melancholy fight, just as we do from the execution of a malefactor, without attempting to give him affistance.

What I am now faying is too clearly manifested, by Mr. Pitt's retiring from the present scene of bufinefs, when the new Ministers ftand in the greatest need of his counfels, and have ridiculously given it out for a month together, that he would support their measures. This ftep of the great and truly amiable Patriot will furely open the eyes of the public, and convince them that thefe vain and empty daws reckoned without their hoft. There remains, however, another point, ftill to be cleared up, before we entirely give the new gentlemen over to perdition. I profefs myself an admirer of Mr. Pitt, and I heartily wish that he and Lord Temple, with some other noble perfons, who have refused to accept even of the highest offices, because those great men would not be concerned in the present fyftem; I wish, I fay, that they could be induced to alter their refolution in this particular. But though there are no hopes of fuch a change, the new Ministry will deferve much of the public efteem, if they would effectually and entirely put an end to the influence of the Favourite. But they themselves are too well confcious, that it is out of their power: I really believe fome of the young and unexperienced perfons among them mean to do it: But none of their leaders think it practicable, or even intend to attempt it. Let me afk them fairly,

whether

whether, when the late convulfions began, the great. point of mismanagement, laid to the charge of the old Minifters, was not not their pushing things too far, by, the removal of Sejanus's brother? And how could the new ones mean to establish their power, but by a contrary conduct? The Favourite, they fay, does not take the lead in the prefent moment; perhaps not, but what then? Does he not intend to refume it, after he has let the new Ministry take a fhort run? He knows that the taste of power is very alluring; and therefore, like an expert angler, lets them nibble and run away with the bait, that he may strike at a proper time, and make fure of his game. If this is not the cafe, and he really intends to lay down his rod, why does not he gratify the public with every demonstration of his honeft and upright purposes? Why does not he retire, in earneft, to a distance from business, and abstain not only from evil, but from all its appearances and temptations? Look only into certain affemblies, and you will find that the perfons there, who are moft willing and most able to fupport him, still remain unmolested in their offices. What is it, in the name of wonder, that protects them? Where do they find a shield to cover them from the present havock and devaftation? Is it their attachment to the gentlemen who are now Minifters? No, there is no one, who has the leaft knowledge of men and things, that does not fee they would difplace them if they could, both because they cannot truft them, and because it would give their adminiftration fuch a weight and credit in the nation, as would render them fuperior to every attempt of their opponents to overthrow them. Self-intereft calls upon them loudly to give these proofs of their being no longer encumbered with the load of favouritifm; and common-fense calls upon us all not to fuffer ourfelves to be amused any longer with vain and idle fuppofitions,

fitions, which are calculated merely to gain time, and give a month or two more to the new Triumvirate to reward fome of their hungry followers, and to difpofe of the highest honours to their favourites, of which, by the nature of those honours, they cannot be hereafter divested. ANTI-SEJANUS.

IT is a curfe, which has attended all favourites of Princes, from the darling of Tiberius down to our modern Sejanus, that they are never happy, unless they are wantonly abufing their extravagant power, or oftentatiously displaying their enormous riches. They cannot poffefs either the one or the other in quiet, but muft needs affront the self-love and understanding of mankind, by a vain and unreasonable exercise of both. There is no other way of accounting for fuch abfurd behaviour, which must neceffarily fubject them to the hatred and envy of the world, than from a mixture of pride, folly and infatuation. While a man battens and basks himfelf in Royal favour, he is fure to be attended with a numerous train of fummer-friends, who flutter and buzz about him inceffantly, and are fuch troublesome and impertinent creatures, that they effectually keep off every honeft and ingenious perfon. Having thus entirely poffeffed him to themselves, the poifon that they diftill into his ear, is ten times more fatal and noxious than that which deftroyed the Royal Dane, as it corrupts the understanding, and ftupifies all the nobler faculties of the foul. Its operation, indeed, is mighty and wonderful, as it transforms a man almoft in an instant from his original felf. Though his intrinfic worth was before poor and infignificant, he acquires I know not what of importance; and having the image of his Prince imprinted, as it were, upon him, endeavours to país current in the world for ten times his real value. To accomplish this moft defirable end, he

finds it neceffary to bear down fome with irresistible infolence, and dazzle the eyes of others with the glare of honour and tinfel trappings of greatness.

If we confider a little the behaviour of different Favourites in different ages and countries, we fhall find that their conduct in these refpects has been uniformly the fame. With what felf-affuming arrogance did Wolfey behave, and fecure of the ear of his Prince, treat the oldeft and moft potent of the nobility with contempt and infolence? Surrounded by fycophants, he kept aloof from others, like an Eastern monarch, and would not deign to hold converfe with the most illuftrious perfons, unlefs they truckled to his power, and bowed the knee to Baal. What a rapid and exorbitant fortune did he amafs together, though he lived with all the state and magnificence of an Emperor? How many palaces did he erect, as trophies of his folly, and proofs of his rapine and extortion? How many country feats did he adorn and furnish with all the curiofities of art and nature? What a train of glittering equipages, what a hoft of livery'd slaves attended him in his tours? One thing, however, may be remarked of Wolfey, which cannot be faid of a more modern Favourite, that he had visible means of acquiring his riches and fupporting his grandeur; as, befides the office of Lord High Chancellor, he was poffeffed at once of five bifhopricks, and feveral other profitable benefices.

What has been here related of the great overgrown Cardinal, may be applied with little alteration to all other Royal favourites; whether it be Sejanus, the darling of Tiberius, or Count Bruhl, the minion of the late Elector of Saxony; fome particulars of whofe life and conduct I may very probably hereafter lay before my readers: At prefent it is not neceffary to have recourfe either to stale or foreign examples, when we have a Sejanus of our

own

own, who is a living inftance of the truth of what has been here afferted. Has he not all along affected to keep aloof, and treated our nobles with fupercilious referve and infolence? Have we not feen him for a long time difplaying his exorbitant treasures in every kind of princely profufion? Has not he purchased eftates, built and adorned villas, erected palaces, and furnished them with fumptuous magnificence? I am fure I fpeak within compass, when I affert, that within these last three years he has expended between two and three hundred thousand pounds. An enormous fum, equal almost to the whole revenues of the kingdom from which he draws his original! I could wish to be informed by fome of thofe, who are in the fecret, how he has acquired fuch prodigious wealth. I will not fuppofe that he embezzled the public money, when he officiously thrust himself into office; becaufe there were fo many checks upon him in that department, that he could not easily have done it without affociates, or poffefling more courage or cunning than I take him to be mafter of. But how, then, has he acquired fuch amazing riches? Tell me, ye flatterers of his, was it by state-jobbing or stockjobbing, that he is become, from a needy Northern Thane, a potent British Noble? What finifter method has he taken to plunder the nation, and escape the iron hand of juftice? I am aware of the answer, that he has been able to make a purchase, to the amount of ninety-feven thousand pounds, to lay out a large park, and adorn and build two magnificent houses out of the eftate which was left him by a relation three years ago. But fuch a reply is fo falfe and foolish, that it scarce deferves a moment's confideration; for I will venture to maintain, that the whole fum of his vifible income, for the last ten years put together, will not amount to above 50,000l. As to the eftate, it is not his; he